Cigarette holder



Aug. 19, 1958 G. B. HERBSTER 2,848,000

CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed March 25. 1954 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent CIGARETTE HOLDER George B. Herbster, Dallas, Tex. Application March 25, 1954, Serial No. 418,616 Claims. (Cl. 131207) This invention relates to cigarette holders and particularly to cigarette holders of the smoke filtering type.

More specifically, the invention relates to a cigarette holder comprising a body having a cigarette holding socket which receives one end of a cigarette for holding it in position for smoking and having a mouthpiece with a smoke duct therein, the holder being characterized in that the body has between its ends an intermediate flat portion or member having a width greater than the outside diameter of the socket and a height substantially less than its own width, the enlarged intermediate portion or member having a cavity therein which is adapted to receive smoke filtering means, the cavity being defined by an end wall and a peripheral wall and having an open end opposite from the end wall closed by a detachable closure cap, and the filtering means comprises arcuately arranged sheet bafile material which is impervious to smoke and is arranged on edge relative to the end wall and extends edgewise substantially from said end wall to the inner face of the cap, the bafiie material having portions in spaced relation to each other generally laterally of the cavity with filter material between said portions, and the body having an opening at the central portion of its end wall and another opening spaced therefrom laterally of the cavity, these openings being connected one with the cigarette holding socket and one with the mouthpiece so that the smoke entering the' cavity must pass along an arcuate path through the cavity and be filtered during its passage therealong and then pass out through the duct in the mouthpiece.

The invention further relates to a filter for use with a particular type of body and for the combination of the body and filter by virtue of which effective filtration of the smoke from the cigarette is obtained.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

Figures 1 through 3 are, respectively, a top plan view, side elevation and right end elevation of a preferred em- ?bodiment of the present invention including a holder and a filter, parts of the holder in Figures 1 and 2 being shown in section for clearness in illustration;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the filter for use in the holder as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan view showing the holder with a modified type of filter therein, part of the holder being shown in section for clearness in illustration;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the type of filter shown in the holder of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of the holder;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the filter taken on the line 88 of Figure 7.

Referring first to Figures 1 through 3, the holder comprises a body, indicated generally at 1, having at the inner end a cigarette holding portion or socket 2 and at the outer end a mouth piece portion 3 and therebetween an intermediate portion 4.

The cigarette holding portion 2 is provided with a bore 5 which is adapted to receive an end portion of a cigarette in press-fitted engagement so as to hold the cigarette in smoking position therein in coaxial relation to the bore.

The mouth piece portion 3 is of the usual elongated type and is provided with a smoke duct 6 which is open through the outer end of the mouth piece.

The intermediate portion 4 has a cavity 7 therein which is connected to the adjacent end of the bore 5 and to the duct 6 so that the path of smoke from a cigarette in the bore 5 is constrained to pass through the cavity 7 before entering the duct 6. i

In the form illustrated in Figures 1 through 3, the body has a passage 6a which is in the intermediate portion 4 of the holder and forms either a part of the cavity 7 or an extension of the duct 6.

The intermediate portion 4 has an upper opening 8 affording access to the interior of the cavity 7. The opening 8 is closed by a detachable cap 9 which fits snugly thereinto with a seal fit so that smoke drawn through the duct 6 must pass through the cavity 7. The opening 8 preferably is substantially coextensive in length and width with the cavity in the plane of the cap so that the entire cavity is readily accessible for cleaning. The intermediate portion 4 is enlarged transversely of the length of the holder and preferably transversely of the axis of the bore 5 so that the cavity 7 therein is of greater dimension transversely than the diameter of the bore 5, thus forming a laterally enlarged settling chamber.

The intermediate portion 4 is approximately cylindrical with its axis extending transversely of the axis of the bore 5 and preferably at right angles thereto. Its height may be substantially equal to the outer diameter of the portion 2.

The passage 6a may communicate with the cavity 7 through any one of the walls of the cavity but with the type of filter and baflies illustrated in Figure 4, it is preferable that the passage 6a communicate with the cavity through the bottom or end wall of the cavity as illustrated in Figure 2. The open end of the passage 6a is located at the axis of the cavity 7.

Within the cavity is a removable filter 10 which is formed of any suitable filter material 11 which may be absorbent or non-absorbent, the former being preferred. Examples of the former are paper, cloth, batting and other organic fibrous material, of the latter are 'rockwool, porous ceramic clays, and the like.

In order to assure the passage of the smoke through the major portion of the filtering material, the filter has incorporated therein a baffle 12 which forms a part thereof and is generally impervious to the smoke and moisture drawn into the cavity. The baffle preferably is in the form of a spiral band of impervious material. It is arranged with its axis coincident with the axis of the cavity 7. The baffle 12 is preferably equal in height to the depth of the cavity from the cap 9 to the bottom wall so that it bridges the cavity from the cap to the bottom wall. The radially inner end 13 of the baffle is spaced from the axis of the bafiie. The radially outermost end of the baflle, indicated at 14, preferably is positioned so that it engages the peripheral wall of the cavity 7 at one side of the cavity near the entrance of the bore 5 thereinto and has its largest diameter portion of its outer convolution extending past, but in spaced relation to, the inner end of the bore 5. When so arranged, all smoke entering the cavity through the bore 5 passes immediately into the filter and therethrough, following the spiral path partially defined by the peripheral wall of the cavity 7 and the filter and for the remainder of its length by adjacent convolutions of the filter. Consequently, in the form illustrated in Figure 1, the smoke flows as indicated by the arrows through the filter around the spiral to the axis of the spiral at which location it passes out of the filter and enters the passage 6a.

The holder thus provided is one in which a large and extremely long and effective filter can be provided without making the holder of excessive length. Further, such filters are very compact and easily packaged and can be carried by the smoker. The filter can be readily removed and the holder cleaned effectively without the necessity of special elongated instruments which would be necessary for cleaning the usual filter type cigarette holders having axially elongated filter bores.

Referring next to Figures and 6, the holder above described is provided with a filter which, instead of including a spiral bafile, includes a baffle formed of a plurality of concentric annular segments. Three such annular segments, indicated at 15, 16 and 17, are shown, the element 15 having an opening 18 in its peripheral wall and the element 16 having an opening 19 in its peripheral wall. The openings 18 and 19 are off-set circumferentially of the axis of the filter 180 from each other. The inner bafile 17 has a peripheral opening which is off-set 180 from the opening 19. The space between the bafile elements is packed with the filter material 20. This baflle is so arranged that the smoke passing therethrongh must follow a circuitous path, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring next to Figures 7 and 8, the modified form of the holder there illustrated comprises a holding portion 21, a mouth piece portion 22 and an intermediate portion 23. The mouth piece portion 22 has a smoke duct 24 therein and the portion 21 has a cigarette holding bore 25. The intermediate portion 23 has a cavity 26 which has a larger transverse dimension than the maximum diameter of the bore 25, as shown.

In this form, the portion 21 is ofi-set transversely of the holder so that the axis of the bore 25 is eccentric to and parallel with the axis of the duct 24. The mouth piece portion 22 is preferably arranged with its duct 24 as a colinear extension of the cavity 26.

The filter shown in Figure 4, includes a spiral baffle 27 and filter material 28. The filter is arranged in the cavity 26 so that the entrance of the bore 25 into the cavity is outwardly beyond the surface of the outer convolution of the baffle, as illustrated in Figure 8. The intermediate portion 23 is open at the end toward the cigarette holding portion 21 and is closed by a detachable cap 29. The portion 21 is preferably formed integral with the cap 29.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cigarette holder comprising a body having a mouthpiece portion with a smoke duct therein, a cigarette holding socket with a cigarette holding bore therein, and an enlarged intermediate flat member having a width that is greater than the outside diameter of the socket and a height substantially less than its own width, said enlarged intermediate member having a cavity therein adapted to receive smoke filtering means, said cavity being defined by an end wall and a peripheral wall and having an open end opposite from said end wall, a detachable closure cap closing the open end of the cavity, the filtering means comprising arcuately arranged sheet baffle material that is impervious to smoke and is arranged on edge relative to the end wall and extends edgewise substantially from said end wall to the inner face of the cap and has portions in spaced relation to each other in a direction laterally of the cavity and has filtering material between the spaced portions, the central portion of the end wall having an opening for smoke, said holder having another opening leading into the cavity spaced laterally of the cavity from the first opening, said openings being connected one with the bore and one with the duct, whereby smoke entering the cavity from the bore will be caused to travel an arcuate path through the cavity from one of said openings to the other and thence to the duct in the mouthpiece.

2. A cigarette holder according to claim 1 wherein said enlarged intermediate member is arranged so that an axis extending through the midportion of the cavity normal to the cavity end wall is disposed generally transversely of the length of the holder.

3. A cigarette holder according to claim 1 wherein said sheet bafile is a spiral band of material having its axis at said midportion of the cavity end wall and having its inner end terminating a short distance radially from its axis, and having its outer end at least close to the peripheral wall of the cavity, and having its convolutions spaced apart from each other radially from the inner end of the band to the outer end of the band, and said filter material fills the space between adjacent convolutions of the band for the major portion of the length of said band.

4. A cigarette holder according to claim 1 wherein said enlarged intermediate member is arranged so that an axis extending through the midportion of the cavity and normal to the cavity end wall is disposed endwise of the length of the holder.

5. A cigarette holder according to claim 1 wherein the sheet bafile material is in the form of bands which are curved about the midportion of the cavity and are concave theretoward.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,421 Lawrence Mar. 23, 1886 491,744 Roebel Feb. 14, 1893 589,258 Hannaford Aug. 31, 1897 2,045,779 Ikeda June 30, 1936 2,196,121 Pierson Apr. 2, 1940 2,472,444 Smatt June 7, 1949 2,669,995 Troy Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 243,347 Great Britain July 29, 1926 614,826 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1948 936,216 France Feb. 16, 1948 

